AP photo
A look at East Carolina, which hosts USF on Saturday in Greenville, N.C.
Nickname: Pirates
Record: 4-5, 2-3 in American Athletic Conference
Wins: 28-20 vs. Towson, 35-28 vs. Virginia Tech, 49-23 at SMU, 30-17 vs. Tulsa
Losses: 31-24 at Florida, 45-21 at Navy, 45-38 at BYU, 24-14 vs. Temple, 31-13 at Connecticut
Coach: Ruffin McNeill (sixth season, 42-32)*
The breakdown: The Pirates' record belies their collective skill level. So why are they struggling for bowl eligibility? A minus-8 turnover margin has been a culprit, but so has a two-quarterback offense sputtering mightily.